News

November - Pre-holiday Season

The festival season is fast approaching and it is the time to give each other gifts and to share happiness and joy. Who can resist splashing out on festive foods, enjoying the celebrations whilst taking a break for a few days. We have two fun articles: 7 Tips For Learning A Language On The Road and The Place That I Call Home. Check out our guide to children's language development and a great initiative that needs our support especially these holidays!

Newsletter_November

October - Teachers month

Around the world on October 5th teachers will be recognised, praised and saluted. For us in South Africa the day comes with mixed emotions – on the one hand we too greatly appreciate our teachers and sympathise with the tough conditions and challenges that many face on a daily basis. However on the other hand some of that sympathy was lost during the recent strike with the way some teachers disrupted learning amongst students. This month we bring you two articles – one from a young activist who calls teachers to order and another article which celebrates our teachers. Read them both and tell us your opinion.

Newsletter_October

September - Literacy month

September 8th is International literacy day. This day aims to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. As such, this month's issue focuses on literacy or the lack thereof. The first article is about Yohannes Gebregiorgis - the donkey librarian and the second discusses the issues (or non issues) of text message lingo. Also see our top 10 tips for boosting a second.

Newsletter_September

August - Women's month

August is Women's Month and as such, we are focussing on the girl-child. In this month's newsletter, one mother writes about her anxieties of raising her teenage niece in a time when it seems our children are exposed to the big bad world too soon. The other article is a delightful story of a father's determination to groom his daughter's hair and highlight her natural beauty.

Newsletter_August

July - Children and language

Language is one of the most important areas of human development. By age five, most children know several thousand words, and have mastered almost all the rules of grammar. This incredible feature of learning is accomplished with little or no formal schooling. However it has everything to do with how you, as a parent, talk with your child. This month we focus on two mothers; one discusses her family totem and the other her valuable language lessons from her two young boys.

Newsletter_July

June - Children and sport

The past few months have been an incredible sight as we build up to the first ever World Cup hosted on African soil. From construction on the roads and the stadiums to the flags and football Fridays; SA looks and feels amazing! To say I feel proud would really be an understatement. There is definitely a tangible feeling of patriotism, excitement and unified spirit in the air. Finally KE NAKO!! In the midst of World cup fever and all things sporty we have Thabiso Tema who takes us on a humorous walk down memory lane about his own quest for a sporting career and Khumo who discusses what fun traditional games to play with your little ones over the holidays.

Newsletter_June

May - Children and reading

The joy of reading and love of books is crucial for every child's development it is measured not only in school success but also in meaningful social interactions and indeed lifelong learning. While any positive interaction between parent and child is helpful, reading is always a sure fire way to gain a positive foothold into a child’s life. This month Nthabi discusses "the threat of no story time” and Noni reminds us that age restrictions are not just for the movies; children’s literature too.

Newsletter_May

April - Children and mother tongue

As Goethe - German philosopher once said “The person who knows only one language does not truly know that language.” When parents and caregivers are able to spend time with their children and tell stories or discuss issues with them in a way that develops their mother tongue vocabulary and concepts, children come to school well-prepared to learn the school language and succeed educationally. To elaborate on this are two articles: "not so secret translator" by Nthabi who finds that everyone has the same source when stuck for words in their mother-tongue - our mothers! The second article is about Brendah’s 4 year toddler who was shocked and hysterical to discover that her Gogo couldn’t speak English.

Newsletter_April